Letters in the Wind
by Schwarzd354
Summary: Drabble series inspired by the AtLA 500 community on livejounal. Current prompt: Teach.
1. Pieces

Prompt used: Element

"Parts of a Whole"

Water, earth, fire and air, only the Avatar could wield all four elements.

But those elements exist in each of us, bender or not.

Water is the element of giving. It is the element that allows us to nurture and heal. Katara was Aang's water. She taught him to change, that he could shift and flow. That he didn't have to bear all the weight by himself, and that he could lean on the strength of his family.

Earth is the element of strength. With it, we are able to push ourselves onward and overcome any obstacle. Toph was his earth. Through her, he learned that sometimes, the only way to solve a problem was to throw himself at it. That sometimes it was the only way to prove that he was stronger than his burdens.

Fire is the element of life. Without it we are lost, listless, fire shines it's light and shows us our goals. Zuko was his fire. Because of his discipline, Aang learned of his own passions, of his own strength of will. He gained the determination to uphold his responsibilities.

Air is the element of change. From air we gain the desire to learn, to try that which is new to us. But Aang was the only one who knew the ways of air. There was no one else left to provide it to the world.

And when he was gone, there never would be again.

These prompts come from a livejournal group with the challenge being that the drabble be between 100 and 500 words, I'm behind schedule but hopefully I can get caught up. The drabbles will vary in tone and character focus, some may even be AU, who knows! Enjoy.


	2. Shadows

Prompt used: Doubt

"Shadows"

Sokka knows what it is to doubt in his skills.

How could he not, when his sister is the last waterbender in his tribe, the girl who can move glaciers when she gets angry. When he knows that no matter how high he builds his watch tower she will always be able to raise it higher or bring it lower. So he worked his own skills, learned how to hone his own abilities, how to be the best tribesman he could be.

Sokka knows what it is to doubt in his perceptions.

How could he not, when his best friend is the Avatar, the bridge between the worlds. Things no longer follow the rules he grew up with. Up can become down and black can be white. Light, can become dark. Sokka knows that no matter how he tries he cannot assign logic to what Aang brings into his life, and he is forced to do whatever he can to survive enemy soldiers, angry benders, and furious spirits.

Sokka knows what it is to doubt in his strength.

How could he not, when the girl of his dreams can outfight him with both arms tied behind her back. A girl who can take on an entire prison and come out on top, the girl who can face down threats that make him want to cower in fear and she'll still take the day. So he trains his weapons and sharpens his aim, he finds new masters to learn from and he keeps throwing his boomerang until it hits the bull's-eye.

Sokka knows what it is to doubt in himself.

How can he not, when his father left him behind. When he was left with the knowledge that he wasn't strong enough, with the knowledge that he wasn't old enough. When he was left with the feeling that _he wasn't good enough_. A feeling that has, and he knows that it will, follow him for the rest of his life. So he does everything he possibly can to improve himself. When he plans, he leaves openings to deal with complications he hasn't foreseen. When he travels, he keeps in mind the budget and what supplies they have when everyone else forgets. When he fights, he uses every tool he can get his hands on and he does so with ruthless efficiency.

Sokka knows what it is to love his family, his father. But he stills feel that shadow of doubt linger over his heart. And when he's being honest with himself, he knows he doubts the love he has for his father, and that he'll never be able to forgive that one moment of doubt that started it all.


	3. Eternity

Prompt used: Undying

The Avatar could never die.

All the world knew this, that should the Avatar die, they would be reborn as the cycle dictated, and the previous Avatar's spirit would join their predecessors in the afterlife. To watch over the new Avatar, to use their knowledge to guide the next one of their lineage. To lend their power, should the need arise.

Because the Avatar could never die.

Should the Avatar die while channeling the spirits of their past lives, then those spirits, and all the Avatars of the past, would die with them. The Avatar would not be reborn, and the world would be without guidance.

So the Avatar could never die.

But there were some, the spirits of the first Avatars, who were old. They had seen Avatar after Avatar be born, grow up, live, age and die. And they were tired. They had roamed the Spirit World for countless ages, for there had always been an Avatar, and they had seen themselves replaced time and again.

But the Avatar could never die.

And so they watched, though they had seen these plays before. They saw, lives that mirrored what will come again. They listened, to voices that all blurred to one. The felt life, time and again, as new Avatars were born. And they felt death, and longed for more than a taste, as those chosen died and joined their ranks.

For they were the undying. And the Avatar will never die.


	4. Destiny

Prompt 4 – Obstacle

Those born into the line of Agni were familiar with obstacles. For each of them were, in some way, blocked from their path. As if cursed by the spirits themselves, members of the family were always barred from achieving their destiny.

Except for Azula.

Zuko was the one who was denied his destiny. All the skill he should have had as one of Agni's children was hers, his place in the line of succession was hers. The love of their father went not to Zuko, but to Azula.

Zuko's destiny was, truly, to be a failure.

He was too unfocused to be a skilled bender, to gullible to survive politics, and far too naïve to lead a nation at war.

Members of the Court still whispered over the supposed curse on the Royal Family's lives, but it did not concern Azula. When she compared her life to Zuko's, how could it?

Azula would never be denied her destiny.

She smiled as the lightning flew from her, and the Avatar fell.


	5. Obedience

Prompt 5 – Tyrant

If there was one thing Ty Lee learned, it was that Azula always gets what she wants.

That was why she had run away to the circus. Not to escape a family that would never notice her absence, not when she had six other interchangeable sisters. Not to get away from the stifling grays and drab browns of the Academy. It was to, for the first time in her life, do something for herself.

If there were two things Ty Lee had learned, it was that you could not say 'no' to Azula.

It had nothing to do with rank, or standing, and everything to do with the way Azula shone. Bright, bright red all the time, shining so strongly that you could not deny any request she made. And they were requests, because when Azula commanded red became blue and you had to say yes or you would _burn_.

When Azula tracked her down, both girls knew what would happen. Really, Ty Lee was amazed Azula couldn't see the fear rolling off her in pale green waves. All she had asked for, a faint white glimmer of hope, was that Azula would let her perform one last time before she was pulled away from the circus for good.

But Azula couldn't simply wait, she had to prove her victory, blazing with a golden confidence that Ty Lee loved despite herself. Walking the tightrope for the last time she watched as Azula tore down everything that made her new home wonderful, watching at the harmonious rainbow of auras was shattered, broken and bleeding fear and pain.

Zuko was right, Azula always wins.


	6. Skirmish

Prompt 6 – Outdo

Sokka put the finishing touches on "Super-Awesome-Perfect-Revenge-Plan Mark VII".

Stepping back from the blueprints he had painstakingly carved into the snow, (having been forced to redo his work three times before finally being able to chase off those irritating penguins,) the nine year old boy nodded in satisfaction. Victory would finally be his!

Sokka ran through the village and threw himself down in the snow at the base of his newly designed watchtower, knowing that the tower would reflect the sun and interfere with his enemy's sight. The Brave Warrior waited, silently, not moving a muscle as his target approached.

The Noble Hunter watched the blue clad figure move ever closer to the firing zone, gathering his ammunition he waited, and waited, and…and why was the target walking away? This wasn't part of the plan!

Thinking on the fly (as all Great Leaders do) the Magnificent Fighter leapt up from hiding with a mighty battle cry.

"Snowball fight!"

Katara jumped at the sound and began to slip, flailing her arms to keep her balance, Sokka's snowballs suddenly stopped flying and fell to the ground. This was exactly why he'd made such an awesome plan. _'Stupid water magic.'_ He harrumphed.

Just as he was about to go tell Gran Gran (Grandmothers could fix anything), there came a rumbling. Looking towards the source Sokka saw his watchtower (his _awesome_ watchtower) collapsing.

Right on top of him.

Later that day, once he'd been dug out of the snow, Gran Gran gave him some hot stew (some _awesome_ stew) and set about explaining exactly why it was a bad idea to challenge waterbenders to a snowball fight.

For the record, I really do like Sokka. But he just makes it too easy to tease him like this. And really, I think we all know something like this happened when he and Katara were kids.


	7. Barren

Prompt 7 – Neglect

Katara moved through the dark, silent rooms. No lamps were lit, she needed none. There was nothing to run into. The furnishing were spartan, mostly confined to the kitchen and her bedroom.

So many other rooms were empty.

This would have been the sitting room.

The room where she would have entertained guests after their dinner. The room where the adults would have laughed at the antics of their children, and swapped stories and advice and experience gained over years of child-rearing.

This would have been the library.

The large windows would have provided light throughout the day so that her children could study the maths and sciences that their Uncle Sokka loved so much. The trade agreements and rules that Aunt Toph had memorized years ago. The imports and exports of the nations, so that they would know how much an artic pearl was worth in the Fire Nation when they went to visit Godfather Zuko.

These would have been their bedrooms.

Small, yes. But each child would have had their own space. While Katara had loved growing up with her tribe, the single room tent had been difficult at times and her children would be allowed privacy when they sought it. A closet for their own clothes, a chest for their own treasures.

But the rooms were empty, the house barren.

To marry the Avatar was to marry the would, and Aang would never stop working to heal their broken world. Even at the cost of a home that was broken before it could begin.

I know Aang is completely devoted to Katara, but I wonder how their life would fare as they got older and the world still needed his help.


	8. Meld

Prompt 8 – Token

Zuko let the necklace spin on it's cord, watching as it caught the light and cast blue around the red room.

She had called it her mother's.

Zuko thought of the Water Tribe girl, of how young she was. He thought of her actions, how earnest she seemed in everything. He thought of her words, how driven she sounded.

Zuko thought of himself; of his age, of his actions, of his words.

He thought of how he would feel if he had something of his mothers, the only thing he had left, and how he would feel if someone took that away.

Zuko looked at the reflections on the walls, watching as blue mixed with red.

Shorter than I planned it to be, but I think it still works.


	9. Composition

Prompt 9 – Honor

Honor is the inner flame which resides in everyone of the Fire Nation. It makes them what they are, who they are. The honor and loyalty they shared bound them all together more than any philosophy, community or treaty.

But Roku, as the Avatar, was not born of only fire. He had the inner flame, just as did all others of his homeland, but he was made of more than just fire.

He possessed air, for freedom and creativity. When fire would run out of fuel and fade away Roku could choose to move, to think of a new way and to use that discovery to burn bright again.

He contained water, to adapt and grow. While fire had only one state he had many, he could warm and welcome more unto himself, or he could freeze and harden to drive away those who were not welcome.

He embodied earth, for stability and determination. Where fire might burn itself out to ash, he could choose to burn still, to not die until he was willing to admit defeat.

Roku was born of fire, as were all of the Fire Nation. But Roku was a core of fire wrapped in a shell of earth, floating in a sea of water and guided by a breath of air.

I love the concept of the Avatar not only representing the four elements, but of what that would mean to his relationships with the four nations.


	10. Mandate

Prompt 10 – Monk

Xian shut the temple doors and sealed herself into the Avatar chamber. Moving through the rings of statues she knelt before her namesake, Xiangchen. Hands clasped together she bowed her head until she felt the cold stone floor.

Xian stayed in that pose for a long moment, made longer by the silent tension filling the temple. Tension that she could not escape even here.

"Avatar Xiangchen," Xian spoke without moving, "Your reincarnation has been lost to us. Avatar Aang has vanished from his temple, and your people do not know what to do. We are searching for him, but the cloud readers tell us that the wind brings ill news."

Xian took a breath to steady herself, "I would not ask this of you, but the Avatar's who succeeded you are not as tied to our people as you are. Avatar's Kuruk, Kyoshi and Roku all had their own concerns in this world, and I fear their Spirits would not hear my pleas."

She raised her head, tears in her eyes, "I beg of you to please, protect your people. Help us weather the oncoming storm."

Blue light shone from the statue, and Xian knew what she must do.

A small hand tugged at her robe, "Mother Xian, why must we leave the Temple?"

Xian gave the child a reassuring smile, "Because my little dervish, the Spirit of the Avatar has given us a sign, and what do we do when the Spirits speak to us?"

"We listen." The children chorused.

"That's right, now come along; we have a long journey ahead."

Xian shepherded the children aboard Akai and readied her bison for the most important flight of their lives.

The flight to save the Air Nomads.

Ok so technically Xian is a nun, but in this case it's the same difference. As for canon, I've always been a proponent of the theory that the Air Nomads survived the genocide. Not completely obviously, but they're _Nomads_. Which means that there is almost no chance that the Fire Nation's attack just happened to coincide with all the airbenders across the entire world all being at the four temples. It's just a very high statistical improbability.


	11. Master

Prompt 11 – Teach

Gyatso opened the door a crack and peeked in on Aang, taking in the bandages running down the boy's back. Gently closing the door so to not disturb him, Gyatso backed away from Aang's room.

The Temple Elders were moving too fast, too eager to proclaim Aang as the Avatar. They all knew the signs, they had all seen the omens. A storm was brewing, yes. But that was no excuse to rob a young monk of his life.

Never before had an Avatar been told the truth before the age of sixteen, this was true across all four nations. And yet already there were whispers of telling Aang his destiny now, when he was hardly half that age.

Bad enough they had given the Master tattoos to a boy hardly eight years old, but that they had done so without fully training him was unbelievable. And whose responsibility would it be to finish the boy's training?

Gyatso shook his head to try and relieve the developing headache.

True, Aang had indeed mastered a great deal of the airbending forms. And yes, the boy was innovative and creative enough to not only modify the existing techniques, but to even create completely new ones.

But they boy was not ready for more advanced techniques. Aang was not ready to learn that for all their pacifism, all their teachings of being separate from and above worldly concerns. He was not ready to learn how truly deadly airbending could be.

Gyatso's resolve was set.

He would not do it.

He would not teach his son how to kill.

Who else watched the series and wondered what else airbending could be capable of? Aside from that, I think Gyatso lived his life in conflict. On the one hand, he had Aang, who he seemed to view as both a son and his best friend returned to him. But on the other hand, he needed to make sure that he was ready to learn all the elements.


End file.
